newsmakers

newsmakers

Eddie Van Halen has emergency surgery

NEW YORK

Eddie Van Halen has undergone emergency surgery for a digestive disease and is canceling his tour in Japan to recover.

His representative said Thursday that the guitarist had a “severe bout of diverticulitis,” a painful condition that involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon. He is expected to recover in four to six months.

The rep added that the 57-year-old will not require more surgeries to treat the disease.

The musician had plans to tour Japan in November and will reschedule the dates for next year.

Van Halen is best known for hits including “Jump,” “Why Can’t This Be Love” and “When It’s Love.” The group released a new album, “A Different Kind of Truth,” in February.

NYPD: Hip-hop mogul Lighty found dead

NEW YORK

A hip-hop mogul who managed Sean “Diddy” Combs, 50 Cent and Mariah Carey was found dead in his New York City apartment Thursday in an apparent suicide, police said.

Chris Lighty, 44, was discovered at his home in the Bronx with a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

No note was recovered, but a .9-mm handgun was found at the scene, and there was no sign of forced entry, said Paul Browne, chief spokesman for the New York Police Department.

The medical examiner’s office will determine a cause of death, but authorities say the shooting appears to be self-inflicted.

Lighty was behind some of rap’s leading figures, helping them not only attain hit records but also lucrative careers outside of music. He had been a part of the scene for decades, working with pioneers such as LL Cool J before starting his own management company, Violator.

Twitter was abuzz with condolences on his death just hours after the body was found.

“R.I.P. Chris Lighty,” Fat Joe posted on his account. “The man that saved my life!”

“Today, we lost a hip-hop hero and one of its greatest architects,” wrote Russell Simmons.

Associated Press